In a significant legal development, a German court has sentenced five individuals to prison for their roles in a plot to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The group, known as the "United Patriots," sought to create chaos and instability during the pandemic by orchestrating a live kidnapping and using a power outage as a means to reinstate a 19th-century constitution that would empower a single Kaiser.
The court's ruling, delivered in Koblenz on March 7, 2025, followed an extended trial that lasted nearly two years. The defendants were found guilty of terrorism, treason, and, in some cases, possession of illegal firearms and explosives. The central figure among the group, a 46-year-old man, received an eight-year prison sentence, while a 77-year-old woman with a background in theology, notorious for her disruptive behavior in court, was sentenced to seven years and nine months. The remaining members, three men in their 50s, faced sentences ranging from two years and ten months to six and a half years.
According to the court's findings, the group was part of the Reichsbürger movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state and advocates for the restoration of a historical constitutional order. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that members of the group radicalized via Telegram during the pandemic and engaged in a plan to acquire weapons, including AK-47 rifles and explosives, for their intended actions.
The arrest of the conspirators occurred in 2022 when they attempted to purchase weapons from an undercover police officer. Authorities confiscated 52 packets of low-grade explosives during police raids, believed to be intended for disabling parts of Germany's power grid.
Health Minister Lauterbach, a prominent advocate for vaccination measures during the pandemic, expressed gratitude towards law enforcement for ensuring his safety and highlighted the state's capability to address violent conspiracy threats effectively. The case has underlined concerns over the growing influence of extremist factions in Germany, particularly in the context of public health policies during crises.
